Chemical process simulation: Helping the pulp and paper industry find its niche in an industrial ecosystem

With its large use of energy and chemicals, the pulp and paper industry could benefit from incorporating industrial ecology principles, especially those related to understanding the metabolism of materials and energy and creating by-product synergies, into its processes. By establishing intra- and inter-firm or industry material and energy cycles, the industry can achieve economic and environmental benefits. However, the establishment of these material and energy cycles presents the pulp and paper industry with many process design challenges. Chemical process simulation (CPS) has proven to be an effective tool for addressing process design challenges in the pulp and paper industry. Recent research shows that CPS can also be used to model groups of companies; therefore, CPS can be used to model potential industrial ecosystems. CPS was used to create a model of an immature industrial ecosystem, comprising four pulp and paper companies and one commercial greenhouse, and to quantitatively evaluate material and energy linkages among the companies.